The feminine living area, titled “A Room of Her Own,” is filled with special pieces like fashion books, collectible trinkets, antique artworks, and a striking Murano glass mirror that a design-savvy collector may have picked up on her world travels.

Photography by House Tipster

“‘A Room of Her Own’ is a personal, sophisticated edit of treasures,” the designer shared in her show notes. “The subtle hues of the plaster walls and patina floor create the canvas for a haven. Minimal, collected and quality pieces, it’s the perfect marriage of beauty and peace realized into an interior.”

The House Tipster Industry team was able to speak exclusively with the designer at the charity-benefiting show house’s press day unveiling in Manhattan, where she explained how she turned a blank space into a rich and historically-inspired modern oasis.

“It was a very architecturally boring room when we took it over, and we wanted to add interest by having these amazing fluted plaster walls made,” Bartholomew told us.

“That was kind of the beginning of the inspiration for the room,” she added. “We had New York craftsmen hand-carve each of these plaster panels and put them together to create a beautiful backdrop for our space, which has texture and layers, then finished with a lime-based paint that lets the light bounce around the room.”

Adding in these luxurious hand-finished details gives the early 20th century Upper East Side home some eye-catching details that could easily have been original features.

“At the top [where the walls meet the ceiling], there’s this coving that really draws your eye up and makes a more airy, open space feeling in this room,” the designer explained.

Photography by House Tipster

To give the room more contemporary flair from floor to ceiling, the designer looked even farther back into long-past decades of history for some special inspiration.

“We painted these floors in the manner of some 18th century Swedish homes to add just a little bit of a casual vibe,” Bartholomew added.

Photography by House Tipster

The dream client for this space could find many functions within the tiny room, but also feel like she was relaxing in a much more open space.

“This is the kind of place I’d want a client to come in after a long day to cozy up and read a good book [or] write a letter [and see the art],” Bartholomew said about her enchanting space. “I love art and think it’s a very integral part of design. We were very careful in curating this specific mix [of art] in this room.”

Photography by House Tipster

Sarah Bartholomew Design, LLC. prides itself on creating designs that similarly place themselves along the course of history.

“I like timeless design, but I also like to walk that line between what is timeless but also feels modern,” the designer told us. “Looking back to interiors and designers that have come before me that have created spaces that do stand the test of time, that don’t feel dated when you look back at them. That is always an element of our design.”

Photography by House Tipster

To hear more about Sarah Bartholomew’s luxurious space at the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House NYC, make sure to catch a recap of our live video stream guided by the designer in the Facebook player below.

﻿

Guests will be able to attend the 47th Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House, located at 36-38 East 74th Street, New York, NY, now through May 30, 2019. Stay tuned for more of House Tipster Industry’s exclusive coverage of the show, including more virtual tours guided by the season’s top designers.